3 Reasons You Should Switch to a Senior Dog Food for the New Year #BRIGHTMIND

This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but only shares information I feel is relevant to my readers. Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.

A couple of weeks ago, I told you all about how I was keeping my dog Maia’s clever mind sharp with the Purina Pro Plan® BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formula. Today, I want to share three reasons why YOU should make the switch to a senior dog food for your senior pooch this year! We make so many New Year’s resolutions for ourselves, but what about our dogs? While I firmly believe that there’s no better time than today to start a new healthy habit, the New Year gives us all a blank slate to really up our efforts in improving our lives. Let’s make sure we include our best furry friends in those efforts!

3 Reasons to Switch to a Senior Dog Food

#1 Keeps Your Dog’s Mind Sharp

Did you know that the glucose metabolism in your dog’s brain starts to change around age 7, according to the experts at Purina Pro Plan? This change can affect memory, learning, awareness and decision making skills. Feeding your senior pooch a food like Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formula, which is specifically designed for senior dogs, can help keep their minds sharp. BRIGHT MIND has enhanced botanical oils that have shown to improve your dog’s mental alertness. I’ve seen it firsthand in Maia over the last month+. Who knows, you may even be able to teach your old dog a new trick or two!

#2 Supports Muscle & Joint Health

Just like us, our older pooches slow down a bit as they age. Maia, for example, moves a lot slower when she gets up or lays down. She’s still pretty spry for a 14-year-old, especially when she sees something in the yard that doesn’t belong, but she definitely takes her time these days in her everyday activities. Senior dog formulas, including Purina BRIGHT MIND, typically have nutrients that help support joint and muscle health. Purina BRIGHT MIND contains EPA, an omega-3 fatty acid, and glucosamine, both of which are great for your senior dog’s muscles and joints.

#3 Helps Support a Healthy Body Weight

Speaking of slowing down, our senior dogs aren’t as active as they were when they were pups. Yes, Maia still engages in a rousing game of “bark at everything that moves and chase imaginary squirrels” from time to time, but lately her favorite activity is relaxing with her new kitten (I’m not kidding, it’s HER kitten, HER baby and she loves taking care of him). A senior dog food is designed for their needs now, not their needs as a puppy or a younger dog. BRIGHT MIND, for example, provides optimal levels of protein and fat to help your pooch maintain the ideal body condition.

Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formula has really helped give Maia her spark back. Now that we’ve been using it for a little over a month, I can really see the difference. She’s always been a clever dog but now I see those sharp wheels turning once again. She’s a planner, a plotter. It’s what makes Maia so unique. She’s also very maternal towards her “babies,” and I’m seeing that side of her return full force. She has a lot more patience for play time.

I picked up my Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formula in store at PetSmart. It’s easy to find, they had a great display pointing right to it! If you don’t have one near you or prefer shopping online, you can grab it at PetSmart.com too. Be sure to Follow Purina Pro Plan on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with news.

What other New Years resolutions are you making for your dog? Share in the comments!

This post is sponsored by Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND and the BlogPaws® Pet Influencer Network. I am being compensated for helping enrich the lives of senior dogs, but we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers. Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND is not responsible for the content of this article.

It’s great that your dog’s doing on the food (it’s even greater she loves the kitten). However, a few people didn’t notice any change. Now I wouldn’t dissuade someone from trying this for that reason, but I have a better reason. According to consumeraffairs.com, hundreds of people have complained their pets fell ill/died. As far as I can tell, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be suspicious of the pet food. Then again, it’s not as though food plays a part in health.

Now I should applaud you for giving good reason ,but there’s something you should know. As dogs age, their ability to process protein decreases so they need more protein. However, most of the senior dog food I found has about 18%-19% protein. (I can’t remember the name, but one even has 16.5%!) Unless your dog needs a low protein food, an adult or all life stage food won’t hurt them. (If you doubt me for any reason, check out dogfoodadvisor.com. The community can be bad in the comment section of the reviews, but there’s so much priceless information.)

My Peanut is still a baby so he doesn’t need this switch yet. I know that their needs do change as they age and it makes since to change their diet accordingly. I hope my baby never loses his spunkiness!